A deer, which was apparently seeking refuge from California’s scorching summer heat, plunged into the pool at King Middle School in Berkeley as dozens of students were participating in swimming lessons.
“Our staff is trained in dealing with lots of emergencies but never a deer in the pool,” Denise Brown, Berkeley’s Recreation and Youth Service Manager, told local CBS News affiliate in San Francisco.
The deer reportedly jumped the fence and dove right into the deep end of the pool. The students quickly exited the pool and two lifeguard staff jumped in with a life vest.
“The staff kind of gently led the deer to the pool steps and the little deer sprung out of the pool and ran into the bushes,” Brown told CBS.
By the time Animal Control arrived, the deer was gone. The pool was reportedly treated and the kids were back inside shortly after resuming their swimming lessons.
Several bears have also taken dips in pools throughout California during the hotter summer months.
Just last week, three bears — a mother and her two cubs — were filmed taking a dip in the waters of Pope Beach in South Lake Tahoe alongside beachgoers who watched and filmed the incident, unfazed, from the sidelines.
In June, a brown bear took a dip in the pool of a Bradbury, California home, giving the residents and guests a Father’s Day surprise from the wild.
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